Process for improving the organoleptic and nutritional properties of legume meal and components and derivatives thereof

ABSTRACT

Process for the production legume meal having a moisture content between 2% and 15%. The process includes feeding a continuous flow of legume meal into a wet heat treatment reactor together with a continuous flow of water or aqueous solution, which is dispersed into minute droplets; discharge the wet legume meal and feeding it into a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor.

This U.S. application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No.15/546,733 filed Jul. 27, 2017, which is a U.S. national stage ofPCT/EP2016/051502 filed on 26 Jan. 2016, which claims priority to andthe benefit of Italian Patent Application No. MI2015A000121 filed on 29Jan. 2015, the contents of which are all incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

DESCRIPTION Field of Application

The present invention relates to the sector of the food and dietaryindustry and in particular relates to a process for the production oflegume meal with improved organoleptic and nutritional properties.

Prior Art

Legumes have always constituted an important source of nutritionalsubstances since they contain, in relation to their dry weight, about17-25% by weight of proteins and about 58-68% by weight ofcarbohydrates, mainly complex, as well as water-soluble vitamins,potassium, magnesium, dietary fibers and natural oxidants.

The high carbohydrate content gives the legumes a high energetic power.

Except for soya, legumes are low in fats and particularly recommended inhypolipidic diets. The high fiber content makes them a satiating foodand helps prevent conditions such as slight dyslipidemia, diverticulosisof the colon, constipation, overweight or other pathological conditions,such as coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, obesity,malignant tumors of the large intestine and bile-stones.

Legumes are among the vegetable foodstuffs which are richest in calcium.

Legumes are “plastic” foods with a protein content comparable to that ofmeat even though the biological value is overall less, because theproteins of legumes do not contain all the essential amino acids.

Although of vegetable origin, these proteins provide a number ofessential amino acids, such as lysine, threonine, valine and tryptophan,in a reasonable amount, greater than that present in the proteins ofwheat, corn and rice. The latter, moreover, contain large amounts ofsulfurated amino acids, which are instead present only in small amountsin legumes. The association of cereals or their derivatives with legumesis therefore extremely functional and may provide the organism with aprotein mixture, the biological value of which is comparable to that ofanimal proteins.

The content of magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron is undoubtedlyhigh, but part of the minerals are neutralized by the abundant presenceof phytates, i.e. “anti-nutritional” substances which reduce theabsorption thereof.

Moreover some legumes, in particular beans, contain lectins, inparticular phytohemagglutinin, which may increase the intestinalpermeability and cause inflammation and lead to immunitary diseases.

Other undesirable substances contained in legumes are cyanogenicglucosides, capable of releasing hydrocyanic acid into the intestine, ifthey are not suitably deactivated by means of cooking.

Legumes contain moreover protease inhibitors, which hinder thedigestives processes in the intestine and reduce the bioavailability ofthe proteins contained in legumes.

Moreover, legumes, and in particular fava beans, contain glycoproteinswith a low molecular weight which are absorbed without being digestedand behave in the manner of allergens, causing an immunitary actionaffecting the skin or the respiratory system.

Despite the aforementioned drawbacks, nutritionists for some time havebeen recommending a greater consumption of legumes, in particular inassociation with cereals, in place of meat-based food, in order toprevent cardiovascular and tumor diseases.

Legumes are commercially available in the form of dry seeds intended tobe boiled after, where necessary, being soaked in water at roomtemperature for several hours, or in the form of meal intended for thepreparation of various traditional dishes, such as “farinata” (chickpeascake), “panelle” (chickpea fritters) or “cecina” (chickpea flan) or formixing with cereal flours in order to produce mixes from which bakeryproducts or pasta may be made.

Also commercially available are isolated proteins obtained from legumes,as well as legume fibers, in the form of meal.

The aforementioned meal products moreover often have a taste which ischaracterized by a certain bitterness, which is generally not liked andgreatly limits their consumption.

The problem underlying the present invention is that of providing novellegume meal which has improved organoleptic and nutritional properties,in particular without the aforementioned drawbacks or having thesedrawbacks to lesser degree compared to known meal products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Such a problem has been solved by a process for the production of legumemeal comprising the steps of:

a) providing a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindricaltubular body with horizontal axis, having at least one opening for theintroduction of legume meal and water or an aqueous solution and havingat least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising thetemperature of said tubular body to a temperature of at least 80° C.,and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprisinga shaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom;

b) feeding a continuous flow of said meal into said reactor, in whichthe rotor is rotated at a speed greater than or equal to 150 rpm;

c) feeding into said reactor, together with said flow of meal, acontinuous flow of water or aqueous solution, which is dispersed intominute droplets;

d) centrifuging said flows against the inner wall of the reactor, thusforming a highly turbulent, dynamic, thin tubular fluid layer, in whichthe meal particles and the droplets of water or aqueous solution arekept mechanically in intimate contact by the radially projectingelements of said rotor, while advancing in substantial contact with saidinner wall of the reactor towards the discharge opening;

e) discharging from the discharge opening a continuous flow of wet meal(moisture content 20-40%);

f) providing a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, comprising acylindrical tubular body with horizontal axis, having at least one inletopening and at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raisingthe temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, anda rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising ashaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom;

g) feeding said wet meal into said reactor through the at least oneinlet opening, the inner wall of the reactor being kept at a temperatureof at least 100° C. by means of said heating jacket and the rotor beingrotated at a speed of at least 150 rpm;

h) centrifuging and causing said wet meal to advance inside the reactorby means of the action of said rotor;

i) discharging from the discharge opening of the reactor a continuousflow of legume meal having a moisture content of between 2% and 15%.

Preferably, during step c), a continuous flow of water vapor is fed,through the aforementioned at least one opening, into the wet heattreatment reactor.

Preferably, at the same time as feeding of the aforementioned flow ofwet meal into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor according tostep g), a flow of gas, preferably air, heated to a temperature of atleast 100° C., is also fed into this reactor, through the aforementionedat least one inlet opening.

The aforementioned aqueous solution may contain one or morewater-soluble ingredients, selected from the group comprising salts, inparticular sodium chloride, flavorings, water-soluble vitamins, inparticular ascorbic acid, and natural antioxidants.

The temperature of the inner wall of the wet heat treatment reactor ispreferably kept at 100-250° C., conveniently at 150-190° C.

The rotational speed of the rotor of the wet heat treatment reactor ispreferably set to 500-3000 rpm.

The temperature of the inner wall of the thermal dehydration andtreatment reactor is preferably kept at 120-280° C., conveniently at150-190° C.

The rotational speed of the rotor of the thermal dehydration andtreatment reactor is preferably set to 300-1200 rpm.

The temperature of the gas flow into the thermal dehydration andtreatment reactor is preferably comprised between 120° C. and 250° C.,conveniently between 140° C. and 190° C.

The water or aqueous solution fed into the wet heat treatment reactorhas preferably a temperature of 30-110° C., conveniently 70-90° C.

The ratio between the flow rate of water or aqueous solution fed intothe wet heat treatment reactor and the flow rate of legume meal fed intothe wet heat treatment reactor is preferably between 1:10 and 1:2,conveniently between 1:4 and 1:2.5.

The aforementioned elements radially projecting from the rotor shaft maybe for example in the form of rods or blades or V-blades or beaters.

The term “legume meal” is understood as meaning a finely divided productobtained from the grinding of legumes, which may be in the form offlour, semolina or fine granules, but it is also understood as meaningisolated proteins of legumes and legume fibers in the form of flour,semolina or fine granules.

The term “legumes” is understood as meaning vegetable products ofdifferent kinds and varieties, which comprise among other things beans(Phaseolus vulgaris L.), peas (Pisum sativum L.), chickpeas (Cicerarietinum L.), fava beans (Vicia faba L.), lentils (Lens culinaris L.),lupins (Lupinus), grass peas (Lathyrus sativus) and soybean (Glycine maxL Merr.).

The legume meal products treated with the process according to thepresent invention have organoleptic properties (in particular smell andtaste) which are markedly improved compared to the starting mealproducts, probably, among other things, due to the Maillard reactionwhich occurs between the proteins and the carbohydrates contained in themeal and which is favored by heating this meal in the presence of waterat temperatures suitable for promoting the Maillard reaction. As aresult of this reaction, the taste of the meal is greatly improved, inparticular owing to the substantial elimination of the bitter aftertastetypical of legume meal products. Moreover, it has been established thatthe heat treatment in turbulent and dynamic thin-layer conditions, whichoccurs in the process according to the present invention, results in thetotal deactivation of the cyanogenic glucosides and the lectins.

It has also been established that the treatment to which the legume mealis subjected in the process according to the present invention, inparticular during the steps carried out inside the turbo-cooker, resultsin hydrolysis of the glycoproteins with a low molecular weight andtherefore avoids the immunity-system problems arising from the presenceof these substances.

Finally, the process according to the present invention results ininactivation of the phytases and allows fixing of the phytins (Ca and Mgglucophosphatides) on the amino acids of the proteins.

The present invention further relates to a plant for carrying out theprocess described above, which comprises:

a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body withhorizontal axis, having at least one opening for the introduction oflegume meal and water or an aqueous solution and having at least onedischarge opening, a heating jacket, and a rotor arranged inside thecylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elementsprojecting radially therefrom; and

a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, comprising a cylindricaltubular body with horizontal axis, having at least one inlet opening andat least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising thetemperature of the aforementioned tubular body to a predeterminedtemperature and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body andcomprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom.

Preferably, the aforementioned elements radially projecting from theshaft of the rotor of the aforementioned wet heat treatment reactor, aswell as the aforementioned elements radially projecting from the shaftof the rotor of the aforementioned thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor, are chosen from the group comprising rods, blades, V-blades andbeaters.

In one embodiment thereof, the plant according to the present inventionfurther comprises an injector device having a body of tubular shape,provided with an inlet opening for the wet meal exiting from theaforementioned wet heat treatment reactor and an outlet opening, abladed or screw rotor being rotatably supported in the tubular body,which rotor imparts to the wet meal an advancing thrust towards theoutlet opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention will emergemore clearly from the following detailed description provided withreference to the sole attached FIGURE (FIG. 1 ), which shows inschematic form an embodiment of a plant for carrying out the processaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the aforementioned FIGURE, an apparatus used for theprocess according to the present invention comprises a wet heattreatment reactor consisting essentially of a cylindrical tubular body1, closed at the opposite ends by end plates 2, 3 and coaxially providedwith a heating/cooling jacket intended to be passed through by a fluid,for example diathermic oil, so as to keep the inner wall of the body 1at a predefined temperature.

The tubular body 1 is provided with inlet openings 5, 6 and 10, i.e. 5for the water or aqueous solution, 6 for the legume meal and 10 for thevapor, and with a discharge opening 7.

The tubular body 1 rotatably supports internally a rotor 8 comprising ashaft 8 provided with elements radially projecting therefrom in the formof blades 9 which are arranged helically and oriented so as tocentrifuge and at the same time convey towards the outlet the flows ofmeal and water or aqueous solution.

A motor M is envisaged for operation of the rotor at variable speedsranging from 150 to 3000 rpm.

When it exits from the reactor, the wet meal is fed via a pipe 11,communicating with the discharge opening 7 of the wet heat treatmentreactor, to the injector device 51.

The body of the injector device 51 has a tubular shape and is providedwith an inlet opening 55 which receives the wet meal from the pipe 11,and an outlet opening 57.

The tubular body 51 rotatably supports internally a bladed or screwrotor 58 which imparts to the wet meal an advancing thrust towards theoutlet opening 57 so as to convey the wet meal to the inlet opening 105of a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor 101. This reactor 101,which has a structure entirely similar to the wet treatment reactormentioned further above, is not described in detail. The components ofthe thermal dehydration and treatment reactor which are identical tothose of the wet heat treatment reactor are indicated by the samereference numbers increased by 100.

The dried meal output from the thermal dehydration and treatment reactoris conveyed to a receiving container 18 which separates said meal fromthe steam and air also exiting from this reactor.

Example 1

A flow of yellow pea meal (80 kg/h) with a moisture content of 14.4% wascontinuously fed, through the opening 6, into the wet heat treatmentreactor 1, inside which the bladed rotor 8 was rotated at a speed of 700rpm. At the same time a flow of water at 80° C. (20 kg/h) wascontinuously fed through the opening 5, and a flow of steam wascontinuously fed through the opening 10 at 105° C. (15 kg/h).

Immediately at the inlet of the reactor 1, the flow of meal wasmechanically dispersed into particles which were immediately centrifugedagainst the inner wall of the wet heat treatment reactor, where a thin,fluid, tubular and dynamic layer was formed. At the same time, the waterfed through the opening 5 was finely atomized by the blades of the rotor8 which also performed the immediate centrifuging of the very finedroplets obtained. These droplets were thus introduced into the thin,fluid, tubular and dynamic layer of meal particles, with which they wereable to interact intimately, in the presence also of the steam fedthrough the opening 10. The rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 wasequal to 700 rpm.

After an average residence time of about 30 seconds inside the reactor,a thermally treated wet meal was continuously discharged from theopening 7. The wet meal in question had a moisture content of 25.3%.

This wet meal was continuously fed into the thermal dehydration andtreatment reactor 101, via the injector 51, at a flow rate of 80 kg/h,in co-current with an air flow at a temperature of 180° C. (flow rate385 m³/h).

Inside the reactor 101, the wall temperature was kept at a value of 180°C., while the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108 was keptconstantly at 1000 rpm.

After an average residence time of 20 seconds inside the reactor, a mealwith a moisture content of 10% was continuously discharged therefrom.

Example 2

Using the same apparatus as that used in Example 1, the processaccording to the present invention was carried using isolated peaproteins in powder form having a moisture content of 10.2%, followingthe same steps described in Example 1.

The flow of isolated pea proteins in powder form was equal to 80 kg/h;the water flow at 80° C. was equal to 20 kg/h, the flow of steam wasequal to 15 kg/h and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 wasequal to 750 rpm.

The average residence time inside the wet treatment reactor was about 30seconds. The wet meal consisting of isolated pea proteins output fromthis reactor had a moisture content of 26.9%.

The flow of wet meal of isolated pea proteins fed into the thermaldehydration and treatment reactor was equal to 80 kg/h; the air flow fedinto the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor had a temperature of178° C. and a flow rate of 390 m³/h, while the wall temperature was keptat a value of 180° C. and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108was 1000 rpm.

The average residence time inside the thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor was about 20 seconds. The wet meal consisting of isolated peaproteins output from this reactor had a moisture content of 9.8%.

Example 3

Using the same apparatus as that used in Example 1, the processaccording to the present invention was carried using fava bean flourhaving a moisture content of 10.2%, following the same steps describedin Example 1.

The flow of fava bean flour was equal to 90 kg/h; the water flow at 80°C. was equal to 32 kg/h, the flow of steam was equal to 15 kg/h and therotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 was equal to 900 rpm.

The average residence time inside the wet treatment reactor was about 30seconds. The wet fava bean flour output from this reactor had a moisturecontent of 27.8%.

The flow of wet fava bean fed into the thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor was equal to 80 kg/h; the air flow fed into the thermaldehydration and treatment reactor had a temperature of 180° C. and aflow rate of 400 m³/h, while the wall temperature was kept at a value of180° C. and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108 was 650 rpm.

The average residence time inside the thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor was about 20 seconds. The fava bean flour output from thisreactor had a moisture content of 12.4%.

Example 4

Using the same apparatus as that used in Example 1, the processaccording to the present invention was carried using isolated lentilproteins in powder form having a moisture content of 11.8%, followingthe same steps described in Example 1.

The flow of isolated lentil proteins in powder form was equal to 90kg/h; the water flow at 80° C. was equal to 32 kg/h, the flow of steamwas equal to 15 kg/h and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 wasequal to 900 rpm.

The average residence time inside the wet treatment reactor was about 30seconds. The wet isolated lentil protein in powder form output from thisreactor had a moisture content of 27.8%.

The flow of isolated lentil proteins in powder form fed into the thermaldehydration and treatment reactor was equal to 80 kg/h; the air flow fedinto the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor had a temperature of170° C. and a flow rate of 400 m³/h, while the wall temperature was keptat a value of 180° C. and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108was 650 rpm.

The average residence time inside the thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor was about 20 seconds. The isolated lentil proteins in powderform output from this reactor had a moisture content of 10.9%.

Example 5

Using the same apparatus as that used in Example 1, the processaccording to the present invention was carried using isolated fava beanproteins in powder form having a moisture content of 11.3%, followingthe same steps described in Example 1.

The flow of isolated fava bean proteins in powder form was equal to 80kg/h; the water flow at 85° C. was equal to 20 kg/h, the flow of steamwas equal to 15 kg/h and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 wasequal to 700 rpm.

The average residence time inside the wet treatment reactor was about 30seconds. The wet powder of isolated fava bean proteins output from thisreactor had a moisture content of 25.9%.

The flow of isolated fava bean proteins in powder form fed into thethermal dehydration and treatment reactor was equal to 80 kg/h; the airflow fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor had atemperature of 180° C. and a flow rate of 390 m³/h, while the walltemperature was kept at a value of 180° C. and the rotational speed ofthe bladed rotor 108 was 1000 rpm.

The average residence time inside the thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor was about 20 seconds. The isolated fava bean proteins in powderform output from this reactor had a moisture content of 11.4%.

1. A plant for carrying out a process for a production of legume mealcomprising: a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindricaltubular body with an inner wall and with horizontal axis, having atleast one opening for the introduction of a legume meal and water or anaqueous solution and having at least one discharge opening, a heatingjacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to apredetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindricaltubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projectingradially therefrom; and a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor,comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and withhorizontal axis, having at least one inlet opening and at least onedischarge opening, a; heating jacket for raising the temperature of saidtubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged insidethe cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided withelements projecting radially from said shaft, wherein said process forthe production of the legume meal consists of: a) providing said wetheat treatment reactor; b) feeding a continuous flow of said meal intosaid wet heat treatment reactor in which the rotor is rotated at a speedgreater than or equal to 150 rpm; c) feeding into said wet heattreatment reactor, together with said flow of meal, a continuous flow ofsaid water or aqueous solution, wherein said water or aqueous solutionhas a temperature of 70°-90° C., which is dispersed into droplets; d)centrifuging said flows against the inner wall of the cylindricaltubular body of the wet heat treatment reactor, thus forming aturbulent, dynamic, tubular fluid layer, in which the meal particles andthe droplets of water or aqueous solution are kept mechanically incontact by the radially projecting elements of said shaft, whileadvancing in substantial contact with said inner wall of said wet heattreatment reactor toward the discharge opening; e) discharging from thedischarge opening of the wet heat treatment reactor a continuous flow ofa wet meal having a moisture content of 20-40%; f) providing saidthermal dehydration and treatment reactor; g) feeding said wet meal intosaid thermal dehydration and treatment reactor through the at least oneinlet opening, the inner wall of the thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor being kept at a temperature of at least 100° C. by means of saidheating jacket and the rotor being rotated at a speed of at least 150rpm; h) centrifuging and causing said wet meal to advance inside thethermal dehydration and treatment reactor by the action of said rotor;and i) discharging from the discharge opening of the thermal dehydrationand treatment reactor a continuous flow of legume meal having a moisturecontent of between 2% and 15%.
 2. The plant according to claim 1,wherein said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotorof said wet heat treatment reactor, as well as said elements projectingradially from the shaft of said rotor of said thermal dehydration andtreatment reactor are chosen from the group comprising rods, blades,V-blades and beaters.
 3. The plant according to claim 1, furthercomprising an injector device having a body of tubular shape, providedwith an inlet opening for the wet meal exiting from said wet heattreatment reactor and an outlet opening, a bladed or screw rotor beingrotatably supported in the tubular body, which rotor imparts to the wetmeal an advancing thrust towards the outlet opening.
 4. A plant forcarrying out a process for a production of legume meal, comprising: awet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body with aninner wall and with horizontal axis, said wet heat treatment reactorhaving at least one opening for the introduction of a legume meal andwater or an aqueous solution and having at least one discharge opening,a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to apredetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindricaltubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projectingradially therefrom; and a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor,comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and withhorizontal axis, said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor havingat least one inlet opening and at least one discharge opening, a heatingjacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to apredetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindricaltubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projectingradially from said shaft, wherein said process for the production oflegume meal consists of: a) providing said wet heat treatment reactor;b) feeding a continuous flow of said meal into said wet heat treatmentreactor, in which the rotor is rotated at a speed greater than or equalto 150 rpm; c) feeding into said wet heat treatment reactor, togetherwith said flow of meal, a continuous flow of said water or aqueoussolution, wherein said water or aqueous solution has a temperature of70°-90° C., which is dispersed into droplets, and feeding a continuousflow of steam into the wet heat treatment reactor through said at leastone opening; d) centrifuging said flows against the inner wall of thecylindrical tubular body of the wet heat treatment reactor, thus forminga turbulent, dynamic, tubular fluid layer, in which the meal particlesand the droplets of water or aqueous solution are kept mechanically incontact by the radially projecting elements of said shaft, whileadvancing in substantial contact with said inner wall of said wet heattreatment reactor toward the discharge opening; e) discharging from thedischarge opening of the wet heat treatment reactor a continuous flow ofa wet meal having a moisture content of 20-40%; f) providing saidthermal dehydration and treatment reactor; g) feeding said wet meal intosaid thermal dehydration and treatment reactor through the at least oneinlet opening, the inner wall of the thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor being kept at a temperature of at least 100° C. by means of saidheating jacket and the rotor being rotated at a speed of at least 150rpm; h) centrifuging and causing said wet meal to advance inside thethermal dehydration and treatment reactor by the action of said rotor;i) discharging from the discharge opening of the thermal dehydration andtreatment reactor a continuous flow of legume meal having a moisturecontent of between 2% and 15%
 5. The plant according to claim 4, whereinsaid elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of saidwet heat treatment reactor, as well as said elements projecting radiallyfrom the shaft of said rotor of said thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor are chosen from the group comprising rods, blades, V-blades andbeaters.
 6. The plant according to claim 4, further comprising aninjector device having a body of tubular shape, provided with an inletopening for the wet meal exiting from said wet heat treatment reactorand an outlet opening, a bladed or screw rotor being rotatably supportedin the tubular body, which rotor imparts to the wet meal an advancingthrust towards the outlet opening
 7. A plant for carrying out a processfor the production of legume meal, comprising: a wet heat treatmentreactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall andwith horizontal axis, said wet heat treatment reactor having at leastone opening for the introduction of a legume meal and water or anaqueous solution and having at least one discharge opening, a heatingjacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to apredetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindricaltubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projectingradially therefrom; and a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor,comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and withhorizontal axis, said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor havingat least one inlet opening and at least one discharge opening, a heatingjacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to apredetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindricaltubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projectingradially from said shaft, wherein said process for the production oflegume meal consists of: a) providing said wet heat treatment reactor;b) feeding a continuous flow of said meal into said wet heat treatmentreactor, in which the rotor is rotated at a speed greater than or equalto 150 rpm; c) feeding into said wet heat treatment reactor, togetherwith said flow of meal, a continuous flow of said water or aqueoussolution, wherein said water or aqueous solution has a temperature of70°-90° C., which is dispersed into droplets; d) centrifuging said flowsagainst the inner wall of the cylindrical tubular body of the wet heattreatment reactor, thus forming a turbulent, dynamic, tubular fluidlayer, in which the meal particles and the droplets of water or aqueoussolution are kept mechanically in contact by the radially projectingelements of said shaft, while advancing in substantial contact with saidinner wall of said wet heat treatment reactor toward the dischargeopening; e) discharging from the discharge opening of the wet heattreatment reactor a continuous flow of a wet meal having a moisturecontent of 20-40%; f) providing said thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor; g) feeding said wet meal into said thermal dehydration andtreatment reactor through the at least one inlet opening, the inner wallof the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor being kept at atemperature of at least 100° C. by means of said heating jacket and therotor being rotated at a speed of at least 150 rpm, wherein a flow of agas heated to a temperature of at least 100° C. is fed into the thermaldehydration and treatment reactor through said at least one inletopening; h) centrifuging and causing said wet meal to advance inside thethermal dehydration and treatment reactor by the action of said rotor;i) discharging from the discharge opening of the thermal dehydration andtreatment reactor a continuous flow of legume meal having a moisturecontent of between 2% and 15%
 8. The plant according to claim 7, whereinsaid elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of saidwet heat treatment reactor, as well as said elements projecting radiallyfrom the shaft of said rotor of said thermal dehydration and treatmentreactor are chosen from the group comprising rods, blades, V-blades andbeaters.
 9. The plant according to claim 7, further comprising aninjector device having a body of tubular shape, provided with an inletopening for the wet meal exiting from said wet heat treatment reactorand an outlet opening, a bladed or screw rotor being rotatably supportedin the tubular body, which rotor imparts to the wet meal an advancingthrust towards the outlet opening.